


Drabbles and Prompts: Persona 4 edition

by Wombat (Superwombat6)



Series: Drabbles and Prompts [3]
Category: Persona 4
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-04-24 12:06:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19172947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Superwombat6/pseuds/Wombat
Summary: A collection of oneshots in the Persona 4 setting. Each of them begins with a prompt from this generator (same one I used for the F-Zero oneshots ages ago):http://writingexercises.co.uk/dialogue-generator.phpTags are updated as new parts are added.This is currently an ongoing series. Subject matter will vary widely between oneshots, but keep in mind that this is Persona; there will be dark themes. I'll warn in chapter notes when a chapter will be particularly intense.





	1. That's not a good enough reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu has some ideas about what to wear in the TV world. Yosuke could not disagree more.

**"Give me one good reason why I should wear a dress."**

Yosuke was bright, bright red.

“It’ll distract the shadows,” said Yu with a shrug. He was already wearing his outfit from the crossdressing pageant. He couldn’t quite keep the edges of a mischievous smile off his face.

“No way, man! That was one of the most traumatic things I’ve ever had to experience, like hell am I willingly doing that again!”

“Eh, seems like a pretty legit strategy to me.” Kanji appeared from behind, white dress flowing around his legs. “We’ve been havin’ trouble with these shadows, could use the edge, y’know?”

Yosuke recoiled from them both. “ _How are you okay with this?!_ _I’m_ going to be more distracted than the shadows at this rate!”

He bumped into someone behind him, and there was a light giggle. “Yosuke, you silly cub, you just gotta relax and enjoy it! I just know you’ll be bear-utiful if you try!”

Reddening further, Yosuke spun to face Teddie. His response died on his lips as he saw that the bear was, in fact, also wearing his dress. Teddie winked at him, and Yosuke sputtered indignantly.

Yu’s voice suddenly barked out an order. “Kanji, now!”

“Wha-- _hey!_ ” Before Yosuke could inquire what was happening, a pair of muscular arms had wrapped around his torso and immobilized him. He immediately started struggling. “No way, man! Th-this is psychological torture! Lemme go, dammit!”

Yu stepped into view, holding that dreaded outfit and looking thoughtful. He nodded approvingly, and Yosuke gave himself up to despair.

A short while later, a very confused shadow hesitated just long enough that it couldn’t avoid the kunai that buried themselves deep in its body. It disappeared in a puff of smoke, and its attacker dropped gracefully to the floor, skirt fluttering majestically.

“Nicely done, Yosuke. You’re looking good out there.”

“ _Not. Another. God. Damn. Word._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talking to your teammates in the TV when you have them in various costumes is such a treat. They'll usually grudgingly accept even outfits they dislike, but there are a couple where Yosuke is _very_ vocal about his displeasure.
> 
> Sorry, my guy, but you're relegated to comic relief even in my fic. I don't make the rules ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	2. A fear like no other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you're truly exhausted, you lack the energy to keep up your facades. Yosuke and Kanji share such a moment.

**"Where does a child hide in a small town like this?"**

Yosuke pressed the phone to his ear as he ran. The only response to his question was a panicked _“How should I know?!”_ from Chie. Some help she was, she’d lived here her whole life.

“J-just keep looking, okay? I’ve got the south shopping district, Kanji’s in the north, Yu’s checking the floodplain…”

After a nervous sign-off, Yosuke flipped the phone shut and shoved it in his pocket without looking. Nanako had been on foot when she ran off, right? Surely, she couldn’t have gotten far. Yosuke tried not to think about what could happen to a little girl running around alone at night. This was a small town, not the city, surely it was far less dangerous. Right?

Somehow, he didn’t find himself convinced. He pushed himself to run faster.

He didn’t stop until his phone rang again, carrying the strained but relieved voice of his partner. Nanako had been found, she was okay. Yu sounded close to tears, but he was okay, too.

Finally letting the worry drain from him along with the adrenaline, Yosuke sank down to sit on the curb. His whole body shook, drained physically and emotionally. Getting that phone call earlier in the night, hearing Yu terrified, crying, panicking… that was the scariest thing Yosuke had ever experienced. He never wanted to hear his partner like that again. He never wanted to be that scared again. Nanako was safe… the relief behind those words was unbelievable.

“Hey. You okay there, man?”

Yosuke started and looked up. He relaxed a little when he saw it was Kanji, hesitating a few feet away. He looked just as shaken as Yosuke felt, though Kanji’s greater endurance meant that his legs didn’t tremble from overexertion. Seeing the concern written all over the larger boy’s face, Yosuke suddenly felt bad about how often he ragged on him. Kanji was a good guy.

“I’m…” Yosuke’s voice cracked. He sighed and tried again. “...Maybe I’d be lying if I said I was alright… hahaha…”

Somewhat anxiously, Kanji approached and sat down next to him. “I got a text from Yu-senpai. He found her.”

“Yeah… I know.”

They fell into silence, but Yosuke could admit he felt a little better with someone else there. A text, huh? He couldn’t quite help the little surge of pride that he was the one to get a call directly, that he had that kind of trust. He only humored the thought for a moment before pushing it away; this wasn’t about him.

Suddenly feeling even more exhausted than before, Yosuke dropped his head into his hands. He wasn’t gonna cry in front of Kanji. He wasn’t. He was just… so relieved. Tired. _Relieved._

“S-senpai?” Kanji sounded concerned.

Everything was okay, so why did Yosuke still feel so wretched? In a moment of distraction, a tear slid free and dropped to the pavement below. Damn, well now he didn’t trust himself to speak, and he didn’t dare look up.

If Kanji noticed, he didn’t say anything. He just clapped a supportive hand onto Yosuke’s shoulder and let him be until he could collect himself.

Eventually, Yosuke did manage to get a hold of himself. He straightened up, self-consciously keeping his tearstained face turned away from Kanji. “Um… Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Something soft brushed Yosuke’s hand, and he was shocked to find a flowery handkerchief there. “Uh…?”

“J-just give it back when you’re done, alright?”

Taking some comfort from how flustered Kanji sounded, and too tired to let his embarrassment override his appreciation, Yosuke accepted the gesture. He self-consciously dried his eyes and wiped his face down, then held the kerchief out without looking.

It was accepted back without a word. Kanji cleared his throat awkwardly. “You gonna be okay gettin’ home, Senpai?”

Oh, as if he needed the added humiliation. Yosuke shakily got to his feet, trying to hide how his legs still trembled. “Y-yeah, I’ll be fine.”

Kanji only watched for a moment before shaking his head. “Like hell. C’mon, Senpai, I’ll help you. A man’s gotta know when to ask for help.”

Yosuke reddened. “N-no way, man, I’m fine! Um, thanks and all, but--” He took a step and almost fell over. He really had overdone it with all that running earlier.

Kanji caught his arm and swung it up over his shoulder. “Let’s get ya home.”

“...Fine.” Yosuke sulked for a while as they walked. Finally, as they got closer to his house, he mellowed a little bit. “Um… Kanji?”

“Don’t worry, Yosuke-senpai, I ain’t gonna tell anyone about this.”

Was that what he thought he was gonna say? Yosuke felt a new wash of embarrassment. Well… sure, he was glad to not have to worry about that, but he trusted Kanji to keep it to himself anyway. “Th-that’s not… what I was gonna say. Um…” He coughed lightly. “Th-thanks. Really. You’re a pretty great guy, Kanji.”

“Huh?” He blushed, clearly flustered. “Whaddaya sayin’ stuff like that for? ‘Course I’m gonna help out my friends.”

“Yeah, I know, I just… I guess I mean to say, sorry for all the stuff I’ve said about you.” Yosuke said it before he could stop himself. He meant it, too.

Kanji stopped walking, surprised. “You… really mean that?”

“Yeah.”

There was a long pause. Finally, Kanji started walking again. “Thanks, Yosuke-senpai. That means a lot to me.”

For a frantic, terrifying night, this seemed like a pretty okay way to end it. Kanji got Yosuke as far as his front door, and he assured the larger boy that he could manage from there. His legs still trembled, but it wasn’t like he had far to go to his room.

Yosuke didn’t even bother doing more than removing his headphones and music player before dropping onto his futon and letting his exhaustion carry him away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part of the game destroyed me. This prompt brought it to mind _immediately._
> 
> I hope you didn't think these would all be fluff c':


	3. The refusal to give up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu refuses to accept defeat. Adachi thinks this is hilarious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty intense and violent. You have been warned.
> 
> I took heavy inspiration from the anime in the setting for this one. Just threw in a couple of my own twists. c:

**"You're too good for this world."**

God… everything hurt. Yu didn’t know it was possible to hurt this much. Adachi was still lounging in a chair several meters away, but Magatsu-Izanagi loomed much closer. The twisted Persona currently had its bladed foot buried in Izanagi’s chest, television static sparking madly across the wound. As he lay there, it was all Yu could do to force himself to breathe.

“Honestly. What use is all this friendship crap? Looks like it got  _ you _ pretty far, right?”

Adachi’s taunting continued, and Yu wheezed out a frustrated cry. The sarcasm lacing Adachi’s words meant he was disregarding how far they actually  _ had _ gotten, in favor of highlighting Yu’s current helplessness. He wanted to shout, to tell him how  _ wrong _ he was, but though his breath quickened in response to his efforts, his only reward was pained tears pricking his eyes.

“Jeez. You gonna say something or what?” Adachi finally stood up, sauntered over to his prey like a cat toying with a mouse. “It’d be a shame if I got bored of you too fast, you know?”

Yu liked cats. He hated that this man was poisoning their image in his head. They were hunters, and while they played with their prey, they ultimately hunted to eat. Adachi was just sick. Yu growled, the tears flowing freely as pain continued to stab through his chest.

“Oh, right. Guess you can’t talk, huh. Man, Personas are weird!” Adachi gestured lazily, and Magatsu-Izanagi jabbed his other foot down onto Izanagi’s arm.

Yu’s mouth flew open but his voice caught in his throat, halting his scream. 

Using his new position as leverage, Magatsu-Izanagi yanked his foot out of Izanagi’s chest.

The pain intensified, and for a moment Yu thought he was going to white out. However, with his Persona’s injury no longer being aggravated, the pain faded at last to a manageable level. He could breathe again. The luxury was immediately spent on a coughing fit before he could even consider trying to speak.

Adachi watched silently the entire time. He probably got a kick out of it. He’d had plenty of opportunities to finish Yu off since the fight had gone south, but he’d only used each one to twist the knife. Even now, even after  _ everything _ , Adachi still saw it as some sick game.

It made Yu furious.

Izanagi reacted to his rage, and the arm that wasn’t pinned gripped his fallen naginata, twirled it, and jammed it into Magatsu-Izanagi’s leg.

Adachi howled, equal parts pain and rage, and staggered back. His Persona fell back as well, the bladed boot pulling free from Izanagi’s arm with a final surge of pain.

Caught up in the swell of emotions, Yu forced himself up to his hands and knees. Everything still hurt, but his physical injuries were actually pretty light compared to what he’d felt through his Persona. Those injuries, the ones to his soul, could be overcome by sheer force of will.

And with his soul burning with anger for the dead, for his friends, for all who had suffered at the hands of this madman, Yu had willpower to spare. The pain faded to a background hum, his broken ribs seeming hardly more than an itch as he rose to his feet.

In stark contrast to Yu’s confident poise, Adachi shrank back, his face twisted into a mask of disgust. “God, you sicken me! Stupid kids, learn when to just  _ die! _ ”

Magatsu-Izanagi lunged for him directly, but Izanagi intercepted the attack with ease. The Personas clashed mere feet in front of Yu, but he did not flinch. The fire in his soul burned away Izanagi’s injuries, the static clearing and his strength growing with every passing second. He effortlessly repelled the twisted mirror image, allowing Yu to stride forward unhindered.

“When I think about my friends, it gives me the strength to go on. I  _ won’t _ let our world die.” Yu passed his katana as he strode forward, having long since been disarmed by Adachi. He barely broke his stride as he scooped it up and bared the blade menacingly. “I know what I’m fighting for, Adachi. Can you say the same?”

Fear and rage fought for dominance on Adachi’s face. “S-stupid brat! Shut up! Why the hell should any of that matter?”

Yu didn’t dignify the frantic shouting with a response. Instead, his steady pace melted into a lunge and he closed the distance between them in a heartbeat. Not expecting the attack, Adachi cried out when Yu’s blade bit into his shoulder. His fingers went limp from the shock, and he dropped his gun.

Not giving his enemy a chance to recover, Yu yanked his katana free and twirled, his blade singing as it sliced through the air and left a thin line of red across Adachi’s chest.

The assault continued. Adachi retreated under the rain of blows, frantically dodging and cringing back. His arms accumulated lacerations as he desperately kept the sword away from anything vital, and he was noticeably slowing down.

But then, so was Yu. His rage burned bright and hot, but it also burned fast. The anger ebbed away, and with it went the adrenaline and the supernatural strength that had allowed him to ignore his injuries. He kept going, but now he was aware of the throbbing in his chest, of the pounding in his head, of the heavy bruises that peppered his entire body. No longer pushed on by adrenaline and rage, Yu relied on his willpower. He just had to outlast Adachi.

It’s true that willpower has no limits. However, the same cannot be said for the human body. It can only be pushed so far before even the purest, most forceful determination can no longer coax motion from it.

Yu finally found that limit. He stepped forward into a swing of his sword, and his leg buckled beneath him. He went down hard, landing on his shoulder and causing his sword to skitter from his reach. His ribs howled, and his vision swam. Adachi…

Adachi was still standing. Unsteadily, to be sure, but despite the blood dripping from his arms and chest he was grinning.

“Phew... that was pretty impressive, kid. That it? You done? Man, and I was starting to think you had a point there, with your whole friendship spiel. Give me a  _ break _ .” The last word was punctuated with a kick that robbed Yu of his breath. He curled around his stomach, trembling as his overtaxed muscles were made to move again.

Izanagi was once more on the receiving end of his mirror’s assault. Yu could feel it. The pain didn’t seem as sharp this time, though. Maybe it was because his awareness wasn’t as sharp.

Was this really all he could do? Was he really incapable of stopping this horrible, horrible man? He felt like crying, but he was too exhausted even for that.

And then Adachi screamed.

Yu was confused for several long moments, but then he felt a hand on his shoulder, and a familiar voice told him to hang in there.

He stirred, the fog in his mind lifting. “Yo...suke…”

“I’m here, partner. That bastard is as good as finished.”

Yu forced his eyes open and saw, past his partner, his friends converging around Adachi. Magatsu-Izanagi flew into view, pursued by Susano-o. Yosuke watched his Persona’s target with a hard stare, his hand never moving from Yu’s shoulder as he knelt protectively over his partner.

A smile found its way onto Yu's face. Of course he couldn’t win before. He’d been alone, even though his determination was fueled by his bonds. With his friends, though, he was sure he could overcome anything. Weakly, he lifted a hand to rest on Yosuke’s, taking comfort in the contact. Yosuke didn’t move his eyes from the ongoing battle, but he gave Yu’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Yeah. Adachi was about to learn the hard way just how important it was to have friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, my working title for this oneshot was literally just _**ANIME**_ on account of how _incredibly anime_ this is. I just love them tropes.


	4. A lack of mercy (Justice pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The murderer has been defeated. It's all over, right?
> 
> Yosuke isn't quite satisfied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this one got Very out of hand. The ideas kept blossoming, and before I knew it, I'd hit 9000 words. So, this one's split into two chapters! Seeya in the next one.
> 
> By the way, this one's pretty intense. Buckle up.

**"Move away from the door and let me at him."**

Yosuke was visibly seething, his knuckles white from how hard he gripped his kunai.

“You know I can’t do that,” said Yu carefully. “You need to calm down.” 

“Bullshit! He killed Saki-senpai, and he almost got Nanako killed! How can you let him live?” 

Yu put a hand on Yosuke’s shoulder, but nearly got injured for his trouble when Yosuke lashed out with a kunai. “Yosuke! Calm the hell down! What’s gotten into you?” 

Suddenly, Yosuke was clutching his head, letting out an anguished cry. “D-dammit! I’m… I just… I _can’t--_ ” 

His voice warped, and wisps of bluish-black smoke began to rise from him. _“I can’t let that bastard live! I have to avenge Senpai! I won’t--”_

“Yosuke?” 

He dropped to his knees, still clutching his head, but at the same time he remained standing. Yu stepped back, baffled by the image that his eyes could not reconcile. Then, the Yosuke that remained standing opened his eyes, and Yu understood. His steel-gray eyes were met with piercing, glowing yellow. 

The real Yosuke collapsed completely, and his Shadow nonchalantly stepped forward and plucked the knives from Yosuke’s limp grasp. Last time Yu had seen him, Shadow Yosuke had been cheerfully harsh in manner, happily mocking his other and laughing wildly when he was rejected. 

None of that mirth was evident here. The Shadow’s eyes were cold and hard, his mouth set in a thin line. _“That man is a murderer! Why are you defending him?”_

Yu remained calm, narrowing his eyes. He didn’t know what the Shadow’s intentions were for Yosuke this time; he had to get it away from him, just in case. “He needs to be brought to justice. Killing him in here will do nothing but add another murder to the case.” 

_“It would_ solve _the case!”_

Whatever response Yu planned to give was cut off by the Shadow’s attack. Yu sidestepped, his reflexes allowing him to dodge with ease. The Shadow stumbled when he didn’t meet the resistance he expected, ending up several feet past Yu. Grabbing the opportunity, Yu placed himself firmly between the motionless Yosuke and his Shadow. 

This did not escape the Shadow’s notice. _“Ugh! Always protecting my useless other half! You know he’s nothing without me, right?_ I’m _his Persona, you know!”_

“You’re wrong,” said Yu sharply. “He’s more than just his Persona or his repressed thoughts. We all are.” 

_“Tch.”_ The Shadow settled into a defensive position and started trying to circle around. _“Whatever you want to think, he’s still the only one to re-manifest his shadow, right?”_

Yu kept himself squarely between the Shadow and Yosuke, his sword pointed unerringly toward the threat. “It doesn’t matter. He’s my best friend and my partner, and nothing can break the bond between us. Not even you.” 

The Shadow sneered. _“Ugh. It doesn’t even matter! Forget this!”_

Belatedly, Yu realized that in his single-minded protection of Yosuke he’d forgotten entirely about what sparked this situation in the first place. Adachi, defeated and barely conscious, was being kept in the other room in this TV world apartment complex until they could clear the way out. He and Yosuke had stayed behind to keep watch until the others could finish. 

Now, Yosuke’s Shadow had a clear shot to the door and was there in an instant. He flung it open, darted inside, and slammed the door behind him. There was a click as the door locked from the inside. 

“Dammit!” Yu lunged for the door, not bothering with the handle before trying to force it. “Don’t! _Yosuke!_ ”

A tired voice from the other side of the door belied the seriousness of the situation. “Heheh. I was wondering how long it’d take before one of you flew off the handle. Kept me waiting for a while.” 

_“Shut up! It’s time for you to die, you piece of shit!”_

“Ehh, I don’t really feel like it any more.”

There was a scream. It wasn’t Adachi’s. Yu stiffened, then threw himself against the door again. Shadow or no, that was a piece of his partner in there, and he wasn’t going to just stand by while he was in danger of being killed. 

The door still wouldn’t budge. Yu cried out with frustration. He stepped back, readying his sword to attack the door. He knew it was reckless, but he was too desperate to think. 

“Dude, no, you’re gonna break your sword.” 

Yu started and turned to see Yosuke standing unsteadily behind him. “Yosuke. Are you alright?” 

“Been better. My stupid Shadow’s in there, isn’t he?” 

A voice that sounded distressingly like Yosuke’s cried out from inside the room once more. Both boys flinched at the sound, for different reasons. 

Yosuke recovered first. “Alright. On the count of three.” 

“Right.” 

“One… Two…”

“Three!” 

The door finally gave out under the combined force, swinging inward and splintering around the latch. Yu and Yosuke stumbled, breathless, into the room. Yu had to catch Yosuke’s arm to keep his fatigued partner from falling. 

“Oh, hey. You’re just in time for the show, kids!” Adachi smiled crookedly, holding one of Yosuke’s kunai. The other was currently buried to the handle in the Shadow’s chest. Mercifully, there was no blood, the wound instead leaking the smoky black stuff they’d seen so often. It turned what would doubtlessly have been an extremely gory scene into something slightly easier to stomach. 

The chest wound was far from the only injury on the Shadow; countless gashes all poured forth smoke, nearly obscuring the trembling form they issued from.

“Man, it wasn’t even hard,” Adachi complained. “I’d hoped for _some_ kind of challenge when one of you kids inevitably tried to kill me. What a joke. You _know_ cops are trained to deal with armed attackers, right?” 

Oh. Yu honestly kept forgetting that this twisted man was-- at least, _had been_ \-- a police officer. Even though he betrayed every value he was supposed to uphold, he still had all the skills one should expect of a cop. 

“Anyway, I’ll be with you in just a sec. Gotta clean up some trash real quick.” Adachi chuckled humorlessly and raised the kunai to strike. 

Yu froze. What would happen if someone’s Shadow was destroyed? They’d fought them before, but only ever to halt the berserk form. It was a part that people hated to admit to, but it was still an important part. If it was gone-- 

“ _Hey, you!_ Dumbass Shadow!” 

Startled out of his thoughts, Yu’s head whipped toward Yosuke. His words had sounded mocking, but his face was deadly serious. What was he up to…? 

Yosuke took a deep breath and visibly steeled himself. “You’re… _not me!_ ” 

... _Oh._ Yu stepped back along with his partner. “Are you sure this is a good idea…?” 

“ _Hell_ no. But do you have any better ideas?” 

“...Not really, no.” 

Adachi went from confused to concerned in an instant when the Shadow began laughing menacingly, an easy rival for Adachi’s earlier manic laugh. The thick smoke issuing from the Shadow took on a blue tint, and he rose to his feet as if his prior injuries were mere pinpricks. 

_“Yeah, that’s right! I’m_ not _you! You don’t have the spine to even_ try _to kill this bastard for everything he’s done! But I do!”_

Yu glanced back over to his partner. Yosuke was trying to keep a straight face, but the words clearly stung. Abruptly realizing that Yosuke was unarmed and currently lacking a Persona, Yu pushed Yosuke behind him. 

“I’ll handle this.” Yu gave his partner a nod before refocusing on the growing Shadow. 

“...I’m counting on you, partner.”

\----

“Looks like that’s the last of them! Good work, guys!” Rise dismissed her Persona and grinned at the others. “Let’s keep going. There’s still a few groups of Shadows between here and the exit.” 

“Bring ‘em on! I can keep going all day!” Chie stretched and trotted ahead. 

Rise hung back, once again summoning Himiko to scan the surroundings as Chie led the charge. Scanning the readings in the visor Himiko held before her eyes, Rise nodded. Yup, all clear the way they’d come, and just… hm? 

“Teddie?” Rise pushed her Persona’s visor up and peered quizzically at the bear. He hadn’t moved to follow the others, and was instead frowning back the way they’d come. “What’s wrong? You should be careful not to lag behind too much.” 

Teddie shifted from foot to foot, costume squeaking lightly as he did so. “Yeah, I know, but… well, I thought I smelled something funny from back there…” 

“Probably just Adachi,” Rise joked. “That guy really stinks!” 

Her smile fell when Teddie didn’t rise to the joke. “No, I don’t think so… It smells bear-y familiar though, like some grizzly we fought bear-ever ago.” 

Rise frowned, returning her attention to her Persona. She turned to face the distant apartment complex, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. “I dunno, nothing’s out of place as far as I can tell.” 

“B-but I swear on my soft, luscious fur that I smell it! It smells like… like…” Teddie smacked his paws against his head, making a hollow bouncing sound. “Aww, it’s no use! I can’t remem-bear!” 

“Hmm… If it’s bothering you that much, maybe we could go back and check it out,” Rise suggested. “Hold on.” 

She closed her eyes and reached out with her mind. It was really amazing, how _connected_ she felt when she used her Persona. She found the five hearts near hers, burning bright with their Personas, and opened communications. _‘Hey, everyone, let’s stop for a bit. Teddie’s picked up on something he thinks is worrying.’_

The four who’d run ahead stopped, though Chie still bounced in place. _‘Aw, c’mon! This is Teddie we’re talking about, it’s probably nothing.’_

Naoto’s calm voice was next to speak up. _‘Based on your wording, I take it you aren’t detecting anything to corroborate?’_

_‘No, but he’s_ really _worked up about it. It’s making me worried.’_

_‘Please, you guys! I can’t put my paw on why it smells so familiar, but I can’t shake the feeling that it’s really dangerous!’_

_‘Hmm…’_ Yukiko sounded thoughtful. _‘You know, if he’s really that concerned, then maybe we_ should _check it out…’_

 _‘I dunno about you guys,’_ said Kanji, _‘but I can keep goin’ for however long I gotta. We ain’t all that far from the place yet, right?’_

_‘Not at all.’_ Rise watched as the others made their way back, Chie somewhat reluctantly. _‘We could make it back inside of ten minutes if we hurry.’_

Chie sighed audibly. _‘Eh, well, might as well let the bear have some peace of mind.’_

_‘Then it’s decided! Let’s go!’_ Rise turned to Teddie, letting her Persona fade. “Well, lead on!” 

Teddie nodded tearfully. “Thank you so bear-y much, Rise-chan!” He raised his nose in the air and sniffed a couple times. “Uh-huh, definitely this way! Follow the bear!”

\---- 

Yu held his sword at the ready, watching as the Shadow’s form began to warp. Adachi scrambled as far back as he could, fear and anger fighting for dominance on his face. 

_“Heheheh. I’ll have to thank you later, me. I didn’t expect this guy to put up such a fight, but now I have_ more _than enough power to crush him!”_ The Shadow had to crouch to fit in the room now. Long, wicked blades sprouted at the ends of its arms, and it swiped them upwards in a powerful arc. The ceiling was smashed open like it was no more significant than cardboard. The Shadow laughed and swept its blades again, this time ripping out chunks of the walls. The building groaned ominously, the sections of ceiling that remained untouched beginning to show signs of strain. 

“Partner? I think I miiight have misjudged this one…” Yosuke was already backing for the ruined door, fearful eyes fixed on his shadow. “He looks _way_ different from last time!” 

A chunk of plaster smashed to pieces right in front of Yu, and he backpedaled. Coughing on plaster dust, he nodded. “Y-yeah… you need to get out of here, partner.” 

Yosuke’s retreat halted. “And leave you alone with a murderer and a rampaging Shadow? I don’t think so!” 

“Yosuke. You can’t fight as you are right now. I couldn’t forgive myself if you got hurt.” 

“Then just come _with_ me, stupid!” Yosuke grabbed Yu’s arm. “I get why you’re so bent on getting Adachi out of here, but he’s not _worth_ it, dude! Just let my Shadow have its tantrum and we’ll deal with it when things settle down!” 

Yu pulled his arm away. “You know I can’t do that.” 

Yosuke wilted. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess I do. Dammit, partner, why do you have to be such a good guy all the time?” 

Despite the situation, Yu couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Any humor quickly evaporated, though, as the groaning structure finally began to lose its battle. The flailing Shadow had totaled its end of the room, and it was impossible to tell where either it or Adachi were through all the dust. Distracted by their argument, the pair of highschoolers hadn’t noticed the floor give out under the foe. The boards on their end of the room were now sagging, the sparse furniture scraping along the sloping floor toward the wreckage. 

“Yu…?” 

“Yosuke, run,” Yu urged, backing toward the door himself. “ _Now!_ ” 

A golden blade pierced through the cheap floorboards just as Yu finally turned to run. The wood splintered and warped, robbing him of his balance. Yu crashed to the floor, struggling to keep from sliding back toward the hole that now dominated the room. 

_“Heyy, don’t think I forgot about you two losers! Hahahahaha!”_

There was another attack, but this time Yu was ready. He’d jammed his sword point-first into the floor, using it as an anchor while his free hand crushed his Persona’s card. “ _Izanagi!_ ” 

Metal screeched as Izanagi materialized and blocked the attack. He twirled his naginata, deftly disengaging and forcing the Shadow’s blade away. 

“Hey, grab my hand! Let’s get out of here!” Yosuke was gripping the damaged doorframe with one hand, the other stretched toward his partner. 

Without hesitation, Yu swung his free hand up. “Thanks, partner.” 

That was the moment the ceiling chose to give up on its feeble efforts to remain intact. Another swipe from below simultaneously compromised the floor despite Izanagi’s efforts. Chunks of ceiling rained down, and one caught Yosuke on the shoulder. He dropped with a cry, tumbling down the tilted floorboards into the yawning gap below. Yu tightened his grip on Yosuke’s hand as he was jerked toward the hole as well, but the force proved too great for either of them to hold on. Yosuke loosed a terrified cry as he tumbled down with the falling debris. 

Without a moment’s hesitation, Yu released his sword and plunged after his friend. 

\---- 

Teddie’s confidence wavered as he went. Oh, the scent was still plenty strong, but he just _couldn’t_ for the life of him tell why it was so familiar. It was un- _bear-_ able! 

Well, they were getting close, so they’d find out soon enough. At least he was sure it wasn’t a wild goose chase now. 

Rise suddenly stopped walking beside him. “W-wait… that can’t be right!”

“Huh? What’s wrong, Rise-chan?” 

“Th-there _is_ a really strong Shadow in there, just like you said, Teddie… but it can’t be…” 

Realization hit Teddie like a Megidolaon. “ ** _I-I-I-I remem-bear!_** ” 

“That Shadow… no way…” 

They looked at each other, voicing the realization simultaneously. “ _It’s Yosuke’s Shadow?!_ ” 

“What?” Kanji stopped and stared at them. “But… Yosuke-senpai’s almost had his Persona the longest of all of us. How could it be _his_ Shadow in there?” 

“Is it… possible to lose your Persona…?” Yukiko mused tentatively. 

Naoto’s expression darkened. “I doubt it’s impossible. If one forgets the lessons they learned to tame a Shadow in the first place, perhaps it would come back…” She thoughtfully raised a hand to her chin. “Or, maybe, if you face suppressed thoughts and feelings of sufficient strength again…” 

“Well… Thinking about it…” Chie bit her lip. “Yosuke was _really_ worked up about Adachi… and especially after all that stuff in Namatame’s room…” 

A cry escaped from Rise, and all eyes turned to her as she shoved Himiko’s visor away and started forward. “Something’s happening in there--! We have to hurry!” 

The scent that had been bugging Teddie this whole time suddenly changed, making his fur stand on end. “It’s b-b-bear-serking! I can smell it! That Shadow’s turning into a monster!” 

“What?” Chie grumbled. “That moron! You’d think he’d know better by now!” 

“Hey, you know how those things are,” Kanji said roughly. “Your Shadow knows just what to say to get under your skin. Don’t blame the guy.” 

“Ugh… I guess…” 

All discussion halted as a loud crash sounded from inside the building. Dust and metal mixed in with the stuff Teddie was already smelling, and he sneezed. “The building is falling apart! Sensei and Yosuke must be in danger!” He toddled forward as fast as his stubby legs could carry him. 

“They’re still too far away for me to contact,” said Rise as she broke into a run. “I’ll keep trying!” 

“ _Just hold on, Senseeiiiiii!_ ”

\---- 

The landing was not a pleasant one. The fall was much longer than expected, as the Shadow had crashed through another two floors and demolished a wide area around it before it was satisfied. Between the long fall and the jagged debris, both boys lost consciousness on impact. 

Slowly coming to his senses amongst scattered rubble, Yu was certain he’d broken _something_. Hard to tell what at the moment. It also occurred to him that he’d left his only weapon lodged in the floor up above, leaving him to rely solely on his Persona for whatever was about to happen. 

Of course, his first priority right now was the reason he’d so impulsively let go in the first place: finding Yosuke. Yu struggled up to his hands and knees, choking on the dust that clogged the air. He nearly collapsed again as pain lanced through his left arm. _Ah_ … found it. He bit back a pained hiss and leaned more weight onto his right. “ _Ngh_ … Yosuke…? Where are you…?” 

There was a weak response from somewhere off to his left. Yu staggered to his feet, swayed unsteadily, then began picking his way over the rubble. 

“Here… over here…!” 

Much closer. Definitely Yosuke’s voice. Yu slowed his pace, scanning the area around him. “Where? I can’t see--” 

_“Gotcha.”_

“What--” 

Yu didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence. Something huge wrapped around his upper body and _squeezed_ , turning his words into a gasp. 

_“Wow. That was way too easy.”_ The dust cleared marginally, and Yu could now identify the metallic glint of the Shadow’s strange shuriken-eyes. It was a little hard to make out from where he was held, but he could tell immediately that this Shadow was much different from what he’d fought in the twisted Konishi Liquor store. Much larger, too. 

The Shadow still stood on four frog-like legs-- though one was currently busy attempting to squeeze the life out of Yu-- and had a figure with two arms rising from its back. This time, though, the figure held a gleaming golden blade in each hand, the knives together taking the likeness of Jiraiya’s sharp “smile”. What had last time been a bright red scarf was instead wrapped around this figure’s forehead, the ends flowing behind it like a stereotypical ninja’s headband. Before, the Shadow had simply been a twisted manifestation of Yosuke’s hidden desires. Now, it was a monster made specifically with the intent to kill. It sent a chill down Yu’s spine. 

“ _Gh…_ You need… to _stop…_ ” Yu hissed. Talking was becoming difficult, and the pressure on his broken arm was making his vision go white. 

_“Stop? Now? Oh, that’s rich.”_ The Shadow’s grip tightened marginally and it lifted Yu off the ground to stare straight into its expressionless face. _“You’re just scared to die. Don’t worry, though, I’m saving you for after I kill that bastard Adachi. I have to kill you in front of my useless other half, after all. Won’t it be more fun that way?”_

So, Adachi was still alive. At least, as far as Yosuke’s Shadow knew. That was something. He agreed with Yosuke as far as their safety being the first priority, but he still hadn’t given up on getting Adachi back to the real world and its justice system. But what about Yosuke? If it hadn’t been _him_ calling out before, did that mean he was unconscious? Trapped somewhere under falling debris? Fear for his friend began to override his pain, and Yu found himself struggling weakly. 

_“Ah, ah, ah! None of that now.”_ The Shadow squeezed, hard, for just a moment, and Yu almost passed out. He went limp in the Shadow’s grasp, struggling just to remain conscious. _“Much better. Now, let’s go on a little scavenger hunt!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry for the cliffhanger, haha. Don't worry, the next chapter's coming soon.


	5. What you know is right (Justice pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solving one problem led to another, much more deadly one. Yu is in danger, and Yosuke is willing to do anything to save him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two of what I've decided to call "Justice". 
> 
> The violence intensifies in this one. So do the dramatic emotions! Just the way it should be.

This sucked. This really, really sucked. The whole situation sucked, and as far as Yosuke was concerned it was entirely his fault. His inability to handle his dark thoughts about Adachi, his dumbass plan to make his Shadow flip out, his failure to run when he should have, getting Yu distracted and getting them in this mess…

Yu had come down the hole after him. Yosuke was sure of it. That was just the kind of thing his partner did. He wasn’t so sure Yu would be able to stick  _ this _ landing, though. Yosuke sure hadn’t.

He wasn’t sure how long he was out, but when he came around he found it hard to move. It wasn’t just from pain, either; he was regrettably pretty used to  _ that _ . The more awake he became the more aware he was of the heavy slab of…  _ whatever _ buildings were made of, lying across half his body. His arm was totally pinned, and hurt like hell anytime he thought too hard about it. He could hear stuff happening elsewhere in the mess that had become of the building’s ground floor, but the weight of the rubble on his chest made it impossible to yell for attention. Hell, maybe that was for the best; he  _ really _ didn’t want to draw his Shadow’s attention while he was trapped like this. Or Adachi's, for that matter.

“Heheheh… Well, this is a fine mess we’re all in, don’t you think?”

That voice. Speak of the  _ literal _ goddamn devil. Yosuke hissed and craned his neck as far as he could, looking for the source of the voice. “Wh-where are you, you son of a--”

“Jeez, relax, kid. I’m not in much better shape than you are. Stuck like a rat in a trap.”

Yosuke did not relax one iota. Even if Adachi was trapped as he said, the fact that the madman could see him but not the other way around made his hairs stand on end. “Dammit! This is your fault…”

Adachi had the gall to laugh. “ _ My _ fault? How do you figure? I was just minding my own business when your Shadow came in and got all huffy.”

“Cuz  _ you’re _ the monster that started this whole mess!” Yosuke seethed, but his angry growl turned into a pained whimper when the pressure on its ribs reasserted itself. He was getting too worked up; it was already hard enough to breathe right now  _ without  _ him yelling.

“Monster? Really? Tell me, when you were all ganging up on me before, what did I look like? Did I turn into a big scary beast? Did a Shadow rip itself free from my soul and start wreaking havoc?”

There was a crash from nearby. Too nearby. The crash was followed by a delighted giggle that sounded much too similar to Yosuke’s own voice for comfort. “W-well, no, but you  _ did _ get possessed by Ameno-Sagiri, like,  _ right _ afterward.”

“Hah! Doesn’t count. If you hadn’t stopped him, the whole world would be  _ just. The way. It should be. _ No pain, no false pretenses…”

“Don’t start on that bullshit again! We stopped you from  _ destroying _ the world, you bastard-- _ Gh! _ ”

_ Pain _ . Yosuke gasped, forcing himself to calm down. If only he could just summon Jiraiya to get himself out of this mess…

“Whatever you say, kid. Too late to change it now, anyway.” Adachi sighed wistfully. “Man, why’d you have to go and flip that thing out, anyway? We coulda just gone on with our day if you’d just kept your stupid little head on straight for a little bit longer.”

What, did he really not get why Yosuke did that? “Idiot. I did that on purpose.” The sound of rubble shifting nearby caused Yosuke’s heart to leap into his throat.

“...You’re calling  _ me _ an idiot? Why the hell would you do something like that?”

“To stop you from killing him!” Yosuke was yelling again, and the struggle to draw breath to fuel it made him groan. He kept going anyway. “I-it was the… only thing… I could do!”

“...What? Why?” Adachi sounded genuinely baffled, none of his usual careless condescension anywhere to be heard. “Why would you want to  _ protect _ something so abhorrent?”

Yosuke bristled. “Because it’s  _ part _ of me, dammit! Even if it’s a part that scares the shit out of me, it’s true! I can’t just deny that, not any more. And I sure as hell won’t let you  _ kill _ it!”

Adachi didn’t respond, and for a second Yosuke actually thought he might be considering his words. He figured out a moment later exactly why the murderer had fallen silent.

_ “Is that true…? That’s why you denied me?” _

It had found them. Yosuke’s Shadow loomed over them, its blades and glittering metal eyes a mockery of the Persona it was meant to be. Yosuke didn’t quite have a clear view of it with the slab of rubble dominating his vision, but it leaned down close enough for him to see.

Yosuke swallowed. “Y-yeah! Of course it’s true! I wasn’t just gonna let this bastard off you like that!”

Maybe if he accepted it now, he could get Jiraiya back and fix this whole mess? It wasn’t like his denying the Shadow had been sincere in the first place, after all. He knew what he’d done to deserve this one.

_ “...You idiot. You really think it’ll be that easy? You think you can get rid of me, just like that?!” _ The Shadow snarled with rage, jamming one of its blades down into the rubble right beside Yosuke. He yelped and struggled as his Shadow leaned down even closer.  _ “You denied me. You didn’t even  _ mean _ it, did you? You just  _ used  _ me! Like a goddamn tool! You didn’t once think about the consequences, did you? You never do.” _

It was true… He hadn’t thought of it. He’d admitted as much to Yu. Sure, it’d fixed  _ that _ problem, but the current one was arguably far more dire. The last three words the Shadow spoke dug into him like needles, picking at his heart.  _ You never think of consequences. _ Yeah… He really did cause more problems than he solved, didn’t he?

“Yosuke… don’t… give up…”

The shock of hearing the voice was enough to snap Yosuke out of his downward spiral immediately. “Yu? Partner, where are you?” He sounded like he was in pain. He needed help. Where--?

The Shadow snarled angrily, its attention swiveling to something off to its side.  _ “Shut up! I know I said earlier that I’d wait until after I killed Adachi… but look! Everyone’s here! Might as well start the party now, right?” _

The words were punctuated by the Shadow raising one of its forelegs up into the air, and--

_ Yu! _ That was Yu, clutched squirming in its hand! Yosuke felt his stomach drop as the Shadow brought its arm down, fast, and  _ threw _ his partner down into the rubble. Yosuke heard himself scream Yu’s name, was vaguely aware of the pain as he strained against the weight that kept him pinned.

Somehow, it felt lighter than before. With a jolt, Yosuke realized that when his Shadow had stabbed its blade down so close to him, it had actually  _ split _ the slab in two. The part that held Yosuke down was by far the smaller piece. Emboldened by this new information, and urged on by the weakening cries of his partner, Yosuke shoved all of his strength against the rubble and threw it aside. He collapsed forward as soon as he was free, taking a moment just to gasp in full breaths of air.

Doubled over as he was, he caught something metallic glinting underneath a smaller piece of debris, unnoticed until now. He reached his uninjured arm for it, and his hand grasped a familiar leather-wrapped handle. It was only one, but… he was in business.

Adrenaline allowing him to ignore his injuries, Yosuke bared his kunai and lunged toward his Shadow. Now that he could see it clearly, there was noticeable television static dancing across the beast’s form. His acceptance of it earlier-- a true, sincere sentiment, uttered without even knowing his Shadow was in earshot-- must have weakened its berserk form more than it cared to admit. The Shadow had its foreleg raised up again, ready to bring its hand down onto Yu’s motionless form.

Like that was gonna happen. Yosuke pushed his legs to move faster, and he darted under the big amphibian hand just in time to scoop up his partner around the middle and pull him to safety. The shockwave from the blow landing sent him tumbling, and he curled around Yu as best he could. He could endure a little more battering for the sake of keeping his partner safe.

They came to a stop and Yu stirred weakly in his arms, his face contorted with pain. Yosuke let out a slight hiss, wishing he could call on Jiraiya to heal him up right then and there. Looked like he’d have to work for that privilege.

"Just-- just hang in there a little longer, okay?"

Yu nodded, just the slightest motion of his head. Yosuke nodded back, bolstered by the determination to help his partner.

He turned to face his Shadow once more, his single kunai brought to bear-- only to realize the Shadow had turned its attention elsewhere, deciding that someone else was more important prey.

Adachi. For  _ fuck’s _ sake.

Yosuke hesitated, hard. Long enough that he started to feel the throbbing in his arm, the aching of his ribs, the twinge in his shoulder from what felt like hours ago, when that chunk of ceiling had come down on him. No time to waste; he couldn’t let his body drag him back down. Not when Yu needed him.

And Yu wanted Adachi brought to proper justice.

That thought alone was enough. Yosuke was off running again, catching up to his Shadow’s lumbering footsteps in seconds. He kept going, passed it, and skidded to a stop in front of it, mere feet before where Adachi lay pinned.

The Shadow stopped, but clearly not because it felt threatened. Instead, it tilted its head and leaned down in a way meant to intimidate.  _ “And just what,” _ it hissed,  _ “do you think  _ you’re _ doing?” _

“Stopping you, duh.”

_ “Stopping-- do you know what you’re  _ doing _ , you idiot?! That is Tohru Adachi, that bastard, that… that  _ scumbag _ …” _

The Shadow trailed off, breathing hard, then tensed up all at once, taking a deep breath and letting it out in three words that it screamed with its entire being.

_ “...who  _ **_murdered Saki!_ ** _ ” _

Yosuke flinched with every word. He felt every one of them; of  _ course _ he did. These feelings came from  _ him _ , from the deepest, darkest part of his heart. He’d pushed it all down for Yu’s sake, known that his partner was right, letting logic win the day.

He readied himself to do it again, but this time through action instead of inaction. He loathed that man, but that was exactly why he had to do this. He knew he was wrong to feel the way that had created this Shadow, and he needed to prove it.

“...I know all that,” he said quietly, steadying himself once more. “But I also know why just killing him isn’t… the right thing to do.”

His Shadow screamed its defiance, but Yosuke knew there was no point arguing. Instead, he waited for one of those gleaming knives to come sweeping down toward him, tensing like a coiled spring.

Instead of slashing with just one knife, however, the Shadow surprised him by stabbing directly downward with both knives. Yosuke jumped out of the way with ease, then re-evaluated his plan. Okay, yeah, he could still work with this. It’d just be a little harder.

The two blades were parallel to each other, stuck in the ground, a little over a meter apart. Before the Shadow could pull its weapons free of the ground, Yosuke launched himself toward the flat wall formed by one of them, hit it feet-first, and pushed off.

For some reason, stuff like this came easy in the TV world. Maybe it was his natural speed being amplified by his Persona, maybe it was high stakes making his abilities sharper by necessity. Either way, it was  _ awesome as hell _ when he wall-jumped his way up to his Shadow’s arms, using the very weapons it’d tried to kill him with. It howled with rage, finally pulling its blades free with a sharp jerk that sent Yosuke tumbling. He managed to stay on the Shadow’s body, though, grabbing on near its shoulder.

“Hey, asshole, I liked you better when you wore bell bottoms.”

_ “I’m not your Persona any more, stupid!” _

The Shadow reached an arm up to try and bat him away with the flat of a knife, but Yosuke was already on the other shoulder by then. “You sure? There’s still some resemblance!” This time he dug his single kunai into the dark flesh before darting away. Inky black smoke poured from the wound, and the Shadow screeched. Yosuke dropped back down to the frog-like portion of its body and began hacking away where he could. The Shadow repeatedly tried to hit him, even tried shaking like a dog, but he clung stubbornly on. He was at an advantage here; it didn’t dare try to hit him with its blades as long as it risked hitting itself.

Another swipe with the blunt side of a knife missed, and Yosuke used the opportunity to scale the Shadow’s arm again. “Miss me?”

_ “I’ve never missed you.” _

“Oh, well, good. Then I won’t feel too bad about doing  _ this! _ ” Yosuke grabbed onto the front of the Shadow’s headband with one hand and swung out directly in front of its face. Without another word, he drove his kunai in deep, as far as he could, right between the Shadow’s eyes.

The sound the Shadow made was inhuman. The fact that it used Yosuke’s voice to do it made it downright unsettling. It messed with Yosuke so bad that he didn’t even notice the Shadow charging up a last-ditch Garudyne. It hurt a  _ lot  _ more than he was used to, without his wind-resistant Persona backing him up. He could hear the Shadow howling as its own attack hit it, too, but at this point it wanted so badly to be rid of him that it evidently didn’t care.

The spell sent Yosuke flying. He couldn’t even tell which way was up any more, and  _ everything _ hurt from the searing wind. There was nothing he could do… was he about to  _ die?  _ He curled into a ball as he flew, covered his head with his arms, and  _ prayed _ .

_ “Izanagi!” _

There was a flash of light, and Yosuke’s uncontrolled tumble was suddenly eased by a pair of strong arms wrapping carefully around him. It rolled with just enough of the momentum that the sudden stop didn’t hurt him any worse, then turned and descended more steadily. Yosuke’s world was pretty fuzzy right about now, but he was conscious enough to note the static flickering across Izanagi’s figure.

As soon as they neared the ground, the static worsened until Izanagi finally vanished in a burst of blue light. Yosuke dropped to the ground in a heap. Not dignified, but not nearly as harmful as it could have been. He let himself lie still for a moment, his pounding heart slowly coming back down toward normal. “Holy  _ crap _ … Thanks for the save, partner.”

There was no response.

“Partner? Yu?” Yosuke was immediately awake again. He pushed himself up in spite of his body’s protests, and looked around frantically until he spotted Yu nearby. He’d slumped forward, his left arm limp at his side and his right arm looking like he’d just let it drop straight down after summoning his Persona. There was, in general, way too much blood for Yosuke’s comfort. He was at Yu’s side in an instant. “Hey, stay with me, okay?”

Yu stirred weakly. “Yosuke… you’re okay… heh.” He smiled very slightly, but trembled too hard to hold it for long.

_ “Why… aren’t you… dead yet?!” _

Yosuke whipped around, hands still clasped gently around one of Yu’s, at the sound of the heavy footfalls. It seemed the Shadow had forgotten about Adachi completely at this point; it was hell-bent on Yosuke now.

No witty comebacks came to him this time; just dry, numbing fear. He’d lost his kunai in that Garudyne, for all he knew it was still stuck in that monster’s face. Yu’s sword was up above in the building somewhere, Adachi probably still had the other kunai, and both of their Personas were out of commission. Yosuke could only cling to his partner like a lifeline as the Shadow drew nearer. He’d done his best… there was nothing left.

And then the Shadow’s legs buckled. It fell soundlessly, its huge body crumpling like an inflatable that had abruptly lost its air. In his shock, all Yosuke could do was laugh incredulously.

“Guess… guess I wasn’t the only one out of gas… hahaha…” He loosened his grip on Yu’s hand and glanced down at him. “Looks like it’s gonna take one final shot. Wanna do it together, partner?”

Yu smiled again, in spite of his pain, and accepted Yosuke’s aid in standing. “Yeah... Let’s finish this.”

They staggered forward together, apprehensively approaching the unmoving Shadow. Sure enough, just the ring at the end of the kunai was still visible in its face. Yosuke reached in and grasped it, somehow managing to not lose his balance when it came free. He and Yu adjusted themselves so that Yu gripped the kunai in his right hand, Yosuke in his left. Then, together, they plunged it back into the flickering Shadow.

There was no fanfare this time, no unearthly shriek, no explosion or drama. The Shadow just became completely engulfed in that black-blue smoke, slowly shrinking until it was nothing more than a mirror image of Yosuke once again. He lay motionless, his golden eyes staring unblinking up at the ceiling.

“Go on, Yosuke… I think I’d… like to sit down for a sec…” Yu said quietly. Now that the danger had passed he shook like a leaf, and he appeared even paler than before.

Yosuke stared for a moment, paralyzed with worry over his partner. Well… he could heal him once he got his Persona back, right? Everything would be fine. It had to be. “I… okay. But you have to stay awake. Got it?”

Yu mumbled an affirmative as Yosuke lowered him to the ground as gently as he could. It looked like it was taking every ounce of his concentration to keep his eyes open. Yosuke needed to hurry.

The Shadow still hadn’t moved at all by the time Yosuke reached it. He knelt down next to his darker half, laid a gentle hand on its head. “Hey. I’m sorry I used you. I treated you more like an object to be protected than like a real part of me, didn’t I? Yeah… all that stuff about Adachi, that was all me. I already knew that before. I’m you, and you’re me.”

Smiling softly, the Shadow closed its eyes. It began to glow, motes of light drifting up off of it, and coalesced into a familiar blue card. Yosuke let it hover just above his hand for a moment. This… wasn’t Jiraiya. It was the same being, still his Persona, but… different.

More powerful.

“Susano-o,” he said reverently. Suddenly, the moment passed, and he remembered where he was… and more importantly, who else was there. He spun, calling his Persona’s new name more urgently this time as he swung his kunai in a frantic arc to slice the card.

Yu hadn’t stayed awake. Maybe it was just Yosuke’s imagination as he rushed over, but his partner looked far too still in the pale light cast by Susano-o’s first summoning.

Yosuke flung himself to his knees at Yu’s side, desperately clutching him. He looked up at Susano-o, desperation making his voice tremble as he invoked his power. “ _ Diarama! _ ”

Light washed over them. Yu’s wounds healed, but not enough.

“ _ Diarama! _ ”

More light. More healing. Color returned to Yu’s face, and his breathing became stronger, steadier. Still, he didn’t wake.

“ _ D-Diarama!  _ Yu,  _ please! _ ”

There was less light this time. Yosuke could feel the pool of energy in his soul dwindle to nothing with this final spell. He stared down at Yu, frantically searching his face for any sign of returning consciousness.

“Come on, partner… you gotta wake up. Dammit, you can’t let something like this--”

“...Yosuke…?”

Yu’s eyes fluttered open, though it took them a moment to focus. Yosuke sobbed with relief, quickly covering it with a laugh. “Oh man, y-you had me worried there for a s-sec, partner…” He ducked his head so Yu wouldn’t have to see him crying.

If he noticed, Yu didn’t comment. He was kind of great like that. He sat up slowly, hissing at the remaining injuries that Yosuke’s magic couldn’t quite heal. He glanced over at Yosuke and smiled. “I knew you’d pull through, partner. If anyone could, it’s you.”

“Really? I mean… I just kind of… went for it. I didn’t think about what I was doing at all. It was pretty stupid, honestly.”

“Not at all. That’s why I knew you could do it. You don’t waste time worrying about whether you can or not.” Yu rose to his feet and offered Yosuke a hand. “You just go for it, without fearing consequences.”

He couldn’t deny that, even if the trait  _ had  _ gotten him into more trouble than anything else. Yosuke chuckled, reaching up and accepting the help. “Y-yeah, I guess you’re right. I was just so focused on protecting you…”

“Not just me,” Yu corrected with a tiny smile. “I was watching the whole time. You stopped your Shadow from killing Adachi.”

Yosuke turned red. “W-well… yeah. I  _ hate  _ the guy, I really do, but… well, you were right. I sort of realized that, I guess…” He laughed awkwardly.

“Thank you, Yosuke.”

The adrenaline was beginning to fade away. Yosuke’s reply trailed off into a weak mumble as his injuries reasserted themselves with a vengeance. He held a hand up to his head and wobbled.

“Yosuke?” Yu caught his arm before he could fall, and found a bit of rubble that worked well enough as a bench for them to sit down. “Are you alright?”

“Ahaha… I think… maybe I overdid it a bit, huh?” As usual, he covered his problems with a thin veil of humor. The facade was a shaky one this time, though.

“Why didn’t you heal yourself?” Yu asked urgently. He grabbed Yosuke’s shoulders as he started to keel over.

“Too busy healing you…” Damn. Damn,  _ everything  _ hurt. Yosuke leaned into Yu’s hands, finding that sitting up was simply too much effort.

“Dammit-- Stay with me, Yosuke! Just hold on…” Yu adjusted his grip and raised his right hand to summon a Persona. Instead, he flinched and clutched his head. “ _ Gh!  _ N-no good… I’m out of energy…”

“...Me too…”

“Why didn’t you save some for yourself? All you needed to do was stabilize me…”

Yosuke squeezed his eyes shut against the pain, oblivious to Yu hugging him to his chest. “Y-you wouldn’t wake up… I was scared.”

“Yosuke…”

“S-sorry… guess I didn’t notice… how messed up I got… hahaha…”

“Just… just hang in there, okay? As soon as Rise’s back in range she’ll find us…” Yu gave Yosuke’s hand a squeeze.

He barely felt it. Just how bad had he gotten himself hurt…? He’d felt mostly fine just minutes ago, but then he’d also been pumped full of adrenaline and completely focused on literally everything  _ except _ himself. Yu was shouting his name somewhere above him, but it was too hard to concentrate. Easier to just… drift… off.

\----

Yosuke fell still in Yu’s arms. He  _ was  _ breathing, but the motion was weak. Too weak.

“Yosuke…  _ Yosuke! _ Please, you have to--”

“Jeez, would you two quiet down over there? I was  _ this _ close to getting a nice nap in.”

Yu’s head snapped toward the intruding voice. Adachi was still where he’d been left, trapped by the rubble, but he looked way too calm about his situation. He was smirking, his eyes taking on that peculiar unfocused boredom that Yu hadn’t seen until mere days before. Now it made his blood boil.

“Don’t mistake mercy for kindness,” he hissed. “The reason you aren’t dead yet is because death would be too mild a punishment for your sins.”

“ _ Wow _ . Awfully melodramatic today, aren’t we?”

Yu turned his attention back to his ailing friend. Adachi didn’t deserve his attention. Still, what could he possibly do for Yosuke right now? They’d never expected for fighting to happen  _ here _ , not when it was the  _ others  _ going out to clean up lingering Shadows. Teddie was carrying their healing items, and Yu simply didn’t have the strength remaining to summon one of his Personas with access to healing spells. His head was still splitting from when he’d tried just before.

Falling back on what seemed like his only possible recourse, Yu closed his eyes and desperately tried to reel in the feeling of communicating with Rise’s Persona. He had no idea if it worked that way, but he couldn’t think of a single other thing to do.

_ ‘Please… someone… anyone…’ _

\----

_ ‘Senpai…! Senpaaaii!’ _ Rise scrunched her face up in concentration, pushing her communication to the widest range she could manage while still moving. It gave her a headache, but she didn’t care-- she was so  _ worried! _

“Huh?” Teddie mumbled beside her. “I can’t smell that big ol’ grizzly anymore…”

Rise was distracted from responding to him by the faint trickle of a thought threading its way into Himiko’s broadcast.

_ ‘...one… anyone…’ _

Rise stumbled to a stop, shocked at the voice.  _ ‘S-senpai?! Is that you? What’s happening in there?’ _ She clasped her hands together and focused on her analysis. Her senpai were just at the very edges of her perception, data flickering in and out of her visor like a TV with a weak signal.  _ ‘Hey, just stay where you are! We’re coming!’ _

The relief in Yu’s voice was palpable.  _ ‘Rise…! Thank god…’ _

She started moving again, gesturing for the others to pick up the pace.

_ ‘Hurry… Yosuke’s in really bad shape. I don’t know how much longer he’ll…’ _ Yu trailed off, but Rise got the idea.

That was around when the data finally stabilized. Her eyes widened as she took in the conditions of her senpai. Yu was more or less okay, but Yosuke… he _wasn't._  


…And both were completely out of SP. No wonder Yu sounded so uncharacteristically panicked.

She was also getting structural readings now. Something  _ very big _ had torn a huge hole in the building, all the way from Ms. Yamano’s room down to the ground floor. Yu and Yosuke were squarely in the middle of the debris field at the bottom, as was Adachi. Just what had gone on in there?

Rise decided to ask exactly that as the team continued to run.

_ ‘I’ll explain later,’  _ replied Yu tiredly.  _ ‘A lot happened. Please tell me you’re close by.’ _

_ ‘Almost there, Senpai. Just hang in there!’ _

_ ‘ _ I’m _ fine. It’s Yosuke I’m worried about…’ _

Now that he knew help was coming, Yu sounded much more like his usual self. She could still hear the edge of anxiety in his voice, though.

They had to pick up the pace.

\----

“Guys! You’re here!”

“How is he? Did we--”

“S-still holding on. Hurry!”

“Yukiko, you got this?”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

“Sensei, let me heal you! You still look pretty grizzly!”

“Later.”

“ _ Samarecarm! _ ”

“...Did… did it work?”

“Be patient, Senpai. He’ll be fine, I’m sure of it.”

“Ugh, you kids are so annoying. Can we get out of here already?”

“ _ You _ shut your trap before I  _ pummel  _ it shut!”

“Kanji…”

“No, you know what, I’m with him! If that jerk wants round two I’ll give him round two!”

“Guys, shh. He’s waking up…”

“...Yosuke…?”

\----

Regaining consciousness was a slow and painful process. A light warmth flowed alongside the pain, though, gently easing it where it passed. It made Yosuke a little less reluctant to meet consciousness halfway.

The first thing he was aware of was the feeling of someone’s arms cradling him. If he’d been in a clearer state of mind, he’d probably have found it embarrassing, but as it was? It was actually pretty nice. He still hurt all over, and he was  _ really _ tired, and that warmth was so nice, and it suddenly seemed like such a nice idea to just curl in closer to whoever was holding him and enter a more healthy sleep.

“...Yosuke…?” Yu’s voice cracked as he spoke. Yosuke had only ever heard him sound like that once before, for Nanako.

The events of the day came rushing back. Oh crap, that was right… Yu was probably worried sick right about now. Yosuke could sleep later; right now he needed to assure his partner that he was okay.

Slowly, he cracked an eye open. Fortunately it wasn’t too bright here, otherwise it’d be way harder to do that. “Mmh… hey, partner.”

Yu just about melted with relief. Feeling the tension in the arms holding him ease, Yosuke finally made the connection that it was his partner cradling him so carefully.

There was a loud, collective sigh of relief, and that was around when Yosuke realized that the entire rest of the Investigation Team was gathered around them. Embarrassment and relief warred in him; on the one hand  _ oh my god _ the whole team was seeing him being  _ held  _ by Yu and it probably looked so  _ gay _ and he’d never live it down--

But on the other hand, it was  _ really _ nice to be surrounded by friends right about now. He’d never admit it if asked, but  _ hell _ , he was glad they were there. Yosuke finally blinked both eyes open and looked around, and all he saw was relieved faces. No teasing or mocking or anything, not even from Chie.

“H-hey, guys.”

It was like a switch was flipped. Everyone went from anticipatory silence to all talking at once. Yosuke and Yu became the center of a barrage of questions and exclamations, everyone demanding to know  _ what the hell happened _ and  _ was Yosuke’s Shadow really here _ and  _ what did that bastard Adachi do?! _

He and Yu explained as best they could, albeit in a somewhat cursory way. Eventually, Rise noticed how incredibly fatigued they both were and shooed everyone back for a time.

By this point, Yosuke had made his way out of Yu’s arms and onto the shelf of debris beside him. He leaned his forearms against his legs and let out a long sigh. “Seriously, thanks for coming back, you guys. I dunno what would’ve happened…”

“You should thank Teddie for that,” said Rise. “He caught the scent of your Shadow, and even though he couldn’t tell what it was at first, he insisted we go back to check on you guys.”

Yosuke looked over at the bear in shock. “Wow. Teddie saved my life, huh?”

Teddie, for his part, burst into tears. “I-I-I’m just so glad you’re okay, Yosukeeee!”

The bear threw his arms around Yosuke, who laughed awkwardly and patted Teddie’s head. “Yeah, me too buddy. Thanks for looking out for us.”

Naoto coughed delicately, drawing attention back to the group as a whole. “So,” she said, “what’s the plan now?”

Already back in ‘leader mode’, Yu thoughtfully looked around at his team. “There are still Shadows blocking the way out?”

“Yeah,” said Rise. “Just a few groups, though.”

“Alright.” Yu nodded. “Kanji and Chie, you look like you’re still raring to go.”

“You bet we are!” Kanji slammed a fist into his hand. Behind him, Chie crossed her arms and nodded firmly.

“Good. Yukiko, you go and back them up as a healer and ranged fighter, and Rise will navigate. I want Teddie and Naoto here… I’m not comfortable with the two of us alone with  _ him _ \--” Yu jerked a thumb over his shoulder, “--in the condition we’re in.”

Adachi waved lazily from his spot in the rubble, evidently completely done taking the situation at all seriously.

“Don’t worry, you two! I’ll protect you!” Teddie doubled down on his clinging to Yosuke.

Yosuke leaned back and pressed a hand to Teddie’s face. “Aaalright, that’s enough of that, bear…”

“ _ Nooooooo… _ ”

Ignoring the silliness, Naoto gripped the brim of her cap and glanced toward Yu. “I agree. Even as he is, I’m not inclined to underestimate him.”

Chie was already hopping in place. “Don’t worry, you guys! This won’t take long at all!” She took off toward what now served as an exit in the ruins. “C’mon, Yukiko!”

Yukiko giggled. “Coming!”

“Wait up, Chie! Yukiko! Don’t go off alone!”

Kanji stayed just long enough to bow to his senpai before taking off after the others. “See ya in a bit!”

The remaining four watched them go, then fell into awkward silence.

Eventually, Teddie let go of Yosuke and spoke up. "...Sensei? Will you let me heal you now?"

"Huh?" Yu glanced over. "Ah, it's alright, Teddie. I'm fine."

Yosuke noticed the way Yu cradled his left arm and frowned. "You're really not, dude. I could only do so much before, and you were  _ really _ messed up."

"Please, Senpai. You don't need to keep up appearances for us."

"Ah…" Yu self-consciously let go of his injured arm and smiled sheepishly. "You're right. Thank you, Teddie."

Teddie perked up immediately. "Yay!  _ Bear-sona! _ "

\----

The rest of their escape from the TV was blessedly uneventful. Even Adachi didn't give them any trouble as they made their way to the exit.

Even with the Shadows gone, the Investigation Team insisted on a protective formation with Yu and Yosuke in the middle. Exhausted as they were, they didn't argue.

"Man…" said Yosuke quietly. "It really is over this time, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Yu started quietly ahead, at where Kanji was grumpily escorting Adachi. "We caught the killer."

"I kind of can't believe it… but I'm glad. We can finally just hang out and not worry about all this stuff."

"I bet you already have plans for winter break, don't you?"

Yosuke grinned. "You know I do! Heh, you know me so well, partner."

He looked away and seemed to become lost in thought. The silence stretched on for just a minute before he spoke again, his tone more solemn. "Hey… thanks for having my back in there."

"What? Why do you say that? Of course I did. I always do."

"Yeah, I know… but I really lost sight of what we were doing, huh?"

"It's all right."

"I mean it! If you hadn't been there… if you hadn't stuck to what you know is right… I don't know what would have happened."

Yu didn't respond right away. He knew what this was about. Accepting one's Shadow didn't end at ' _ I’m you, you're me _ .' His friends had all leaned on him in the emotional aftermath of their individual ordeals. He was glad to be able to help, and would be more than happy to do it again. In lieu of words, he put a supportive hand on Yosuke's shoulder.

Yosuke shot him an appreciative smile. "I knew you'd understand."

"Of course. We're partners after all, right?"

"Yeah. Always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bits of this fic were inspired by an amazing doujin called "Prove the Wind", which can be found here:  
> https://colonel-ressentiment.tumblr.com/post/149596542389/prove-the-wind-a-persona-4-yuyosuke-doujin
> 
> I took my own spin on things, of course, but the concept of Yosuke's Shadow re-manifesting in a different form and Yu and Yosuke going all protective over each other is _extremely good._ I highly recommend giving it a read; the art and writing are both excellent, and the action is incredibly engaging.


	6. Golden Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time marches on, and sometimes it can be a little overwhelming to look back and see what you've lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is... Kind of a weird chapter. I just sort of started thinking about stuff one night, getting all emotional and stuff, and I felt compelled to write a sort of vent fic. A lot of this is just me projecting some powerful emotions onto a character, but it's also a bit of an exploration into what kind of impact the events of P4 may have left.

It was Golden Week. The time of year that always stirred the most memories.

It was a long time ago, now. Ten years? Maybe even fifteen. Time could be weirdly hard to track after a while. At the time, it seemed like those days would never end. Even after the case was solved, even after he’d had to return to the city, to say goodbye. He’d return to visit. He’d stay in touch. He even had some new adventures and misadventures with his friends. For a time, it seemed like trouble followed wherever he went.

Of course, as a teenager it’s hard to have perspective on these things. The photographs stood side by side in their frames, kept through the years with great care. One was from the day he’d had to leave, at the end of that year. Everyone was grinning, crowded around him, young and happy.

The other photo was from a short time later, a few months at most.

Golden Week.

Even just that length of time showed changes in everyone. Their hairstyles, their clothes, their attitudes; though they were all the same people they’d each grown just a little.  


They’d stayed in touch, as promised. Some of them went to college, others pursued their passions. They all parted ways, no longer just a train ride away. Across the country, even across the world.

They still stayed in touch, but it was different. He thought about it sometimes, whether he’d ever go back to that small town in the countryside. The more time passed, the more he grew. The more they all grew. Staring at those photos, he felt a little pang inside him. A little prickle in his eyes.

Even if he went back to the town, he knew it wouldn’t be the same. Just going there would seem kind of silly; there was no reason at this point, beyond that quiet desire to revisit those places and feelings. Why go, just to stare and remember?

The prickle turned into moisture. He’d never really given the past such concentrated thought before. He realized he’d never again have a quiet evening on the riverbank, the soft trickle of water and the earthy smell of grass all around. Never again visit the hilltop, grass swaying gently in the breeze as he stared down at the quiet town. Never again sit across from his friends on the department store roof, laughing and chatting and planning the days away.

He sniffled lightly and got up to find some tissues. He couldn’t exactly account for why he was so emotional right now; he’d thought about this plenty of times. He’d long since acknowledged the possibility that he’d never see that town again. Sure, it was sad, but he’d made peace with it. He’d even talked about it on occasion with his friends.

He decided to let the emotion flow. It was strange, but there was catharsis in it. Perhaps this was something he’d needed for a while. He’d accepted his emotions on the matter, but he’d never really let himself feel them.

Growing up, huh? It meant leaving things behind. He was still young; he knew that. But it seemed that, perhaps, he was starting to be old enough to really understand what it meant for time to pass. Things changed with time, and it was only natural that there would be things that were lost in the changes.

He let himself become lost in the memories for a while. He didn’t try to stop the tears; it felt nice to let them out. He quietly wept for the places he’d lost, the sights and sounds and smells that he could never get back.

And then, he moved on. He let out a long, shuddering sigh. He stood up, washed his face, and threw out the used tissues. He regarded the photos with a fond smile, and then reached for his phone. It was true that there were many things lost to time, but there were also things that would never change. His fingers found their way to the number on their own, so often had they dialed it.

The voice on the other end was warm and familiar.

_ “Hey, partner, what’s up?” _

“I was just… thinking about some things. Do you remember when we first met?”

_ “Hah! How could I forget? Why do you bring that up now?” _

“I dunno. I suppose I’m just in a nostalgic mood. Golden Week and all.”

_ “Right. Hard to believe it’s been so long, huh? I wonder how that little town’s doing these days.” _

“Yeah. Me too, partner. Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a weird style on this one. I like odd narrative choices for stuff like this, playing with pov and pronouns-- or lack thereof. I dunno, I think it fits.
> 
> I debated for a good while whether I wanted to post this, but I'm glad I did in the end. It's something a little different. I hope you enjoyed.


End file.
